![]() |
||
![]() |
The Taste of Memory--About Food and Wine |
The 1939 New York World's Fair was a celebration of current technology and future possibilities. Themed with the Trylon and Perisphere, the fair hovered between optimistic futures and the reality of an impending world war.
The fair included General Motor's Futurama, where visitors seated in moving chairs viewed a giant diorama of a possible 1960's future; "Elektro the Motoman", a giant parlor trick robot that "talked" and performed simple arithmetic to the astonishment of visitors to the Westinghouse Pavilion; a locomotive designed by famed industrial designer Raymond Lowey and harking to the future of rail transportation; a rotatable dirigible hanger of a never-to-be-realized blimp future; a videophone whose widespread use was predicted to be just around the corner but is just now becoming reality; an automated highway where the separation of each car could be dynamically controlled to increase volume and eliminate accidents; and much, much more.
And the fair had food. Even those looking into the future needed sustenance in the present. Here was an opportunity to try foods from around the world. The Official Guide Book to the 1939 World's Fair gave visitors the following overview of their eating and dining options:
"Visitors to the fair will find that the Fair Corporation has anticipated alike the minutest gastronomic demands of the inveterate epicure who dines by the hour and of the quick lunch grabber who gets his lunch as he runs.
"If you are fond of leisurely dining, spiced with music, you have a choice of four Brass Rail Restaurants - where roast meat sandwiches rest temptingly in the midst of the aroma of their own gravy; Heineken's on the Zuider Zee, the exotic dining place with the Netherlands accent; the Casino of Nations, patterned after the 'Brasserie des Nations' at the Paris exposition, where waiters will take your order in any of 12 languages; and other superb restaurants operated by Ballantine Gardens, Inc., Doughnut Corporation of America, Exposition Grounds Catering Corporation, Triangle Restaurant, F. & M. Scahefer, Turf-Trylon Corporation, Childs Company and many others, offering a culinary répertoire from every section of the United States. If you care for variety, there are approximately twenty restaurants in the Foreign Government area, where France, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Poland, the Soviet Union, and even the Dutch East Indies among others, will offer their favorite delicacies.
"Stand operators offer hamburgers, frankfurters, and other sandwiches, Orange Crush and non-carbonated citrus fruit drinks, Coca-Cola and other carbonated beverages, root beer; dairy stands sell ice cream, malted drinks, buttermilk, chocolate milk and chocolate drinks, and milk; salt water taffy, popcorn and other things that go along with amusement - all inspected daily for quality and freshness, and all at standard prices.
The Fair presents food in all its succulent variety... from the regions of the United States and from the nations of the world... in various kinds of restaurants, with and without entertainment... and in all price ranges. Excellent restaurants are found in many of the villages in the Amusement Area; Cuban Village, Winter Wonderland, Midget Village, Merrie England and others. The Children's World contains a superb restaurant. Many of the exhibitors in the field of food serve the dishes in which they are specialists."
Official Guide Book of the New York World's Fair 1939. Exposition Publications, Inc. New York, p.21-23.
The following luncheon menu for the Belgium Restaurant contains a curious mixture of English and French - a possible attempt at putting in English that which might seem difficult to guess at if printed in French. Lunch at the Belgium Restaurant wasn't cheap. Remember that a 1940 Ford coupe cost about $600.00.
LES HORS D'OEUVRES | |
Les Hors d'Oeuvres, Varies Honey Dew Melon Coupe de Fruit Supreme Fresh Crab Meat Cocktail Grapefruit Juice Cocktail 1/2 Grapefruit Smoked Nova Scotia Salmon Fresh Shrimp Cocktail Tomato Juice Cocktail Cantaloupe Jambon d'Ardennes La Terrine de Foie de Volaille St. Hubert |
1.00 0.50 0.50 0.60 0.35 0.35 1.00 0.60 0.35 0.40 1.00 1.00 |
POTAGES | |
Potage Longchamp Consomme Rubis (hot or cold) |
0.50 0.50 |
OEUFS | |
Omelette aux Champignons Oeufs Plats Bercy |
1.00 1.00 |
POISSONS | |
Vol au Vent de Fruits de Mer Newburg Merlan Frit Sauce Tartare Saumon Frais Sauce Verte Salade de Homard 1/2 Homard Froid Ostendaise Imported Sole Meuniere |
1.25 1.25 1.35 1.50 1.75 2.00 |
SPECIALITES BELGE ET PLATS DU JOUR | |
Salade de Volaille Malinoise Croquettes de Volaillle Rognon Brochettes Cleveland Salade de Boeuf Campagnarde Escalopes de Veal Liegeoise 1/2 Poulet en Meurette |
1.50 1.00 1.25 1.25 1.50 2.00 |
GRILLADES (Toutes Garnies des Pommes de Terre) |
|
Cote de Veau Chateaubriand Mutton Chop Entrecote Minute Sirloin Steak (for two) |
1.50 2.25 1.50 1.75 5.00 |
COLD | |
Cold Smoked Tongue Cold Roast Beef Jambon d'York Cold Chicken in Jelly Assiette Anglais (Assorted Cold Meats) Le Foie Gras de Strasbourg a la Gelee de Porto |
1.25 1.50 1.25 1.50 1.50 2.00 |
LEGUMES | |
Broccoli, Sauce Hollandaise Laitues Fraiches Braisees French Fried Potatoes Petits Pois au Beurre Tomates Farcies au Gratin Haricot Vert au Beurre |
0.75 0.80 0.35 0.50 0.80 0.50 |
SALADES | |
Waldorf Salad Egg and Potatoes Salade de Saison |
0.80 0.75 0.50 |
ENTREMETS (Patisserie de la Maison) |
|
Assorted Belgium Pastries La Brabanconne Compote de Fruits Peche Melba Fruit Refraichis au Champagne Paris Bruxelles Tarte Maison Baba au Rhum Charleston |
0.25 0.50 0.45 0.50 0.75 0.40 0.35 0.50 |
GLACES | |
GRANDE SPECIALITE: Souffle Glace Marie Brizard Vanille Chocolat Glace aus Fraises Cafe et Chocolat Liegeois Coupe Bruxelloise |
0.50 0.45 0.40 0.40 0.50 0.50 |
FRUITS | |
Honey Dew Fraiches Tranches d'Arnanas Cantaloupe Cerises 1/2 Grapefruit Peches Pommes |
0.50 0.50 0.40 0.35 0.35 0.50 0.25 |
--------------- | |
Coffee or Tea Chocolate or Cocoa Iced Coffee or Tea Cafe Filtre Wiskeman Demi Tasse Milk |
0.35 0.40 0.35 0.40 0.35 0.25 |
VIN EN CARAFES | |
Cotes de Cadillac White (half sweet) Bordeaux Rouge "Claret" Zwicker d'Alsace Imported Champagne Cocktail |
1.10 (carafe), 0.70 (demie) 1.10 (carafe), 0.70 (demie) 1.10 (carafe), 0.70 (demie) 0.75 |
References: Official Guidebook of the New York World's Fair, 1939, 2nd Edition. Exposition Publications, Inc. New York. 256 pages
Menu: Belgium Restaurant, New York World's Fair 1939 for July 13, 1939.. (1939) Private Collection.
© 1998 Gary Fisher
Homepage | more Taste of Memory | The Gourmet's Helper | The Company Store | Armchair World Directory
We appreciate any comments or questions you might have. Our e-mail address is .
You can also fill out our feedback form for sending us your comments. Thanks!
© 1998-2004 Armchair World
armchair.com, Armchair World, NetEscapes, The World at your Fingertips, The Taste of Memory , The Armchair Brief , Bring the Outside - Inside and Just Add Water and Your Imagination are trademarks of Armchair World, Los Angeles, California, USA.